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Thursday, April 30, 2015

The Portland Winterhawks have signed 17-year-old defenseman Caleb Jones.

Jones played this season for the United States National Development U18 Team, where he had six goals and 18 assists for 24 points in 65 games.

He also just returned from helping lead USA Hockey’s National Under-18 Team to a gold medal at the U18 World Championship in Switzerland. Jones had five assists in seven games in the tournament, tying him for the team lead in scoring among defensemen.

“Caleb is an excellent two-way defenseman who will play a big role on our blueline next season. The experience he’s had playing for the National Development Program and in international play is an enormous asset for him,” said Portland Winterhawks General Manager & Head Coach Jamie Kompon. “We recognize that Caleb had multiple options to play NCAA hockey and we are very excited that he has decided that Portland is where he would like to continue his development.”

“I’m excited to sign with the Winterhawks and continue my development with such a successful organization,” said Jones. “I believe their style of play suits my strengths and I look forward to helping the team pursue a championship in Portland next season.”

Jones is eligible for the NHL Draft this summer, and was rated 115th among North American prospects in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings.

Jones is the younger brother of former Winterhawk and current Nashville Predators defenseman Seth Jones, who helped lead Portland to the 2013 WHL title. He went on to be selected fourth overall by the Predators in the 2013 Draft. Caleb and Seth are sons of long-time NBA player and current Indiana Pacers assistant coach Popeye Jones.

Group Parties of eight or more people receive the best seats and can save up to $15 per ticket for all playoff home games. Contact the Winterhawks today at 503-236-HAWK or seats@winterhawks.com to guarantee the best seat locations.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Regina,
Saskatchewan
– Regina businessman Marty Klyne has joined the front office of the Regina
Pats. Beginning today, he is the organization’s new Chief Operating
Officer (COO).

“I
am very excited to be working with the Regina Pats and the ownership, Queen
City Sports and Entertainment Group (QCSEG),” said Marty Klyne. “With
such a strong brand, a passionate head coach in John Paddock and a great front
office staff, I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and work with my team to grow the
business side of the operation.”

As
COO, Mr. Klyne will be responsible for all facets of the business, focusing on
fan experience and operational excellence. His responsibilities include
revenue, sales growth, costs and financial goal management. The COO will
report directly to the team president and work in partnership with the team’s
Sr. Vice President of Hockey Operations and Head Coach John Paddock.

“Marty
brings a wealth of business leadership that will be invaluable to the
organization and QCSEG,” Pats President Todd Lumbard said. “While taking
care of the day-to-day side of the business, he will also be looking at such
things as organizational effectiveness, improvements and development to ensure
we are meeting the needs of our fans.”

Prior
to joining the Regina Pats, Marty Klyne was publisher and CEO of The
StarPhoenix and Leader-Post. His work history includes being president
and CEO of the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation which operates Casinos Regina
and Moose Jaw, and COO of the Regina Regional Economic Development Authority
(now the Regina Regional Opportunities Commission (RROC).

Born
and raised in Regina, Klyne is committed to giving back to the community and
currently serves on a number of committees and boards. Some of them
include Globe Theatre, Regina Palliative Care, Inc., FHQ Developments Ltd.,
Saskatchewan’s Labour Market Task Force, and the Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Entrepreneurship & Small Business Program Advisory Committee.
Previously he served Ignite Adult Learning Corp., CNIB Saskatchewan and the
Mackenzie Art Gallery to name a few. He was also president of the 2003
Grey Cup organizing committee.

“This
is a pretty big deal for me. I get to work
with a strong brand and for an ownership group that I hold in very high regard.
I’m a huge fan of the Pats and what our head coach is doing. The owners and the entire organization are committed
to this city, the team and its fans which is all very inspiring."

Mr.
Klyne will be available for media today at 1:30 p.m. outside the Pats’ office
on the west side of the Brandt Centre.

Named
for the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, the Western Hockey
League’s Regina Pats are the oldest major junior hockey franchise in the world
operating from its original location. Since their founding in 1917, the
Pats have won three Memorial Cup championships and compete in the WHL’s Eastern
Division. To learn more about the Pats, call 306-337-1535 or visit www.reginapats.com.

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The off season is never really the off season in hockey. Yes the club is not playing games but already the WHL Bantam Draft is just over a week away, then will come spring camp and then the CHL Import Draft in June. Not to mention football is just over the horizon, the Regina Thunder open their spring training camp on Friday. It certainly doesn't bother me and we will get into both of those today.

Lets start with the Pats and the draft which is in Calgary next Thursday. Regina holds the 14th overall pick in the first round. Head Coach and Senior VP of Hockey Operations John Paddock said yesterday they have a player in mind for their first round selection. "We know a player that we hope is there looking at how we project it but I think everybody probably has their own idea on players. There is no scientific exact thing here but we will get a good player."

Paddock went on to say that a lot of work has been put in by his scouting staff this year. "We have lots of reports on all the players. This is Dale's (McMullin) job, it's what he does to coordinate and organize them and be in charge get them in order, what we think is the order. It's a lot of work, It's especially been heavy the last four weeks with each province's final wrap up with the players on different teams. It's an important time, it's a very busy time."

The Regina Pats draft picks will go as follows:

1st Round - 14th overall.

2nd Round - No pick, went to Red Deer in Jake Leschyshyn trade in 2015.

8th Round - Two picks. 154th via Saskatoon for Isaac Schacher in 2014 plus their own at 167.

9th Round - 189th overall.

10th Round - 211th overall.

11th Round - 233rd overall.

12th Round - 255th overall.

Paddock was asked yesterday if there was a certain position he wanted to address in next weeks draft. "I think you always have to have players in every position but we are short draft picks so we are not really at that point of addressing that too much yet. If I look at our team, Sam (Steel) is all of a sudden not going to be a real young player anymore but with (Jake) Leschyshyn and Steel we have good strength down the middle and we have lots of goalies."

Paddock was also asked on whether or not he thinks there will be any trades ahead of the draft. "I think that's highly unlikely. We did a lot of deals as everyone knows in the winter time. I'm not saying nothings going to happen before or up to or even at the trade deadline for this coming season but we are a young team, we have to let these players grow and improve and see what else we have with our young guys that were not here last year. So I don't think (Trades) are likely but I don't really know what happens at these kinds of drafts, maybe there is action, who knows."

I will once again get to travel to Calgary to cover the draft and will have full coverage right here.

For a second straight year the Saskatoon Blades would have picked first overall but once again their first round pick is property of another team. The Spokane Chiefs hold the 1st selection this time around and while there is not a comprehensive draft rankings for the draft there is one player that a lot of people say is probably the best available. Ty Smith, a defenceman out of Lloydminster who played at the Delta Hockey Academy this season. He played in just 16 games but scored 9 goals and added 19 assists for 28 points. In his first year of Bantam he had 60 points in 33 games in Loyd. I should mention the Blades have two first round picks in the draft from Everett (18th) and Kamloops (12th) in the Nikita Scherbak and Matt Revel trades respectively.

---

The Regina Thunder kick off spring camp on Friday night. About 130 players have been invited to take part in the three day camp which includes but rookies and returning veterans.

Head Coach Scott MacAulay says it's going to be a good weekend. "Everybody involved is super excited. We've had one of our best recruiting classes in the last couple years and just the number of guys we have returning and seeing how they have been working out all off-season it's going to be a lot of fun to see everyone come out there and compete, push each other and get better."

MacAulay says there will be a lot of rookies pushing for spots all over the field. "We had a really good recruiting year at every position. I think that the one thing for us when you look at the guys that we lost is linebacker. That's an area where we graduated five veteran players. I expect that you will see four or five guys with a lot of high school and Team Saskatchewan playing experience to come in and be able to compete. That's one are I am going to keep my eye on. The other area is at receiver. We had a really good year with recruiting receivers. We have Jobie Taylor who was the receptions leader and leading touchdown catcher in the 4A RFL, we have Kris Calcutt who played for Team Saskatchewan and was also a RFL All-Star out of Campbell and we also have Lee Brown who was also an RFL All-Star. I expect those guys to come in and they will probably be a little behind at the start of camp but as we progress towards the season I expect them to push to travel as well."

Here is the players to watch list from the team for this weekend.

#14 Sawyer Buettner – Quarterback – 6’1”, 205lbs
Sawyer, a highly recruited Quarterback, comes to the Regina Thunder from Moose Jaw Peacock
Tornadoes where he won the three City Championships and two Provincial Championships. He
also led Team Sask to a Silver Medal at the 2014 Football Canada Cup, where he was named the
tournaments All Star Quarterback. He then went on to lead Team Canada’s U18 program to a win
over the United States in early 2015. The Thunder is very glad to have Sawyer join the team this
year and expect him to come to camp ready to compete to play as a rookie.

#69 - Logan Ferland – Offensive Line – 6’4”, 240lbs
Logan comes to us from the very successful Melfort Comets program. Logan was also a member
of Saskatchewan's Team White at the 2014 Football Canada Cup. With his 6'4" 240 lbs frame
Logan has also shown tremendous balance and strength throughout the winter camps. Logan is
proving to be a tremendous talent with an eagerness to learn and improve. We are very excited
to have Logan join the Thunder this year.

#66 - Jaron Rossignol – Offensive Line – 6’0”, 300lbs
Jaron started playing high school football in grade 9 and has been a starter with the O'Neill Titans
since grade 10. During those times he reached the provincial final three times as well as winning
the city championship three times. In 2014 he was named the offensive lineman of the year and
Titans toughest player awards with the O'Neill. When not hitting the weight room or grid iron,
Jaron enjoys spending his time with his family and friends...

#80 - Kris Calcutt – Receiver – 6’1”, 170lbs
Kris played in the RMF (Regina Minor Football) for 7 years prior to moving on to Campbell
Collegiate where he was a Schwann conference all-star receiver for the last two years.... He was
also a Schwann conference all-star kicker in his last season... In 2014 Kris was part of Team
Saskatchewan’s U18 team that won a silver medal at the Canada Cup... Kris is avid soccer player
and has had the opportunity travel to Europe, United States and coast to coast in Canada…

#12 - Jobie Taylor – Receiver– 6’0”, 165lbs
Jobie played two years of football at Sheldon Williams Collegiate in Regina. He led the 4A division
in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in 2014... Jobie also played basketball,
hockey, golf, and curling at Sheldon.

#82 - Lee Brown – Receiver 6’2, 182lbs
Lee Brown, a talented basketball player at Campbell played football for the Tartans in for the last
two years… During his time with Campbell he made it to the City Championship twice. The
receiver coaches look forward to moulding this 6’2” multi-sport athlete.

#59 - Ryland Gibb – Defensive Line – 6’1”, 215lbs
Ryland comes out of PA Carlton explosive utility player for his Highschool team last year. Even
played a little receiver when required. He has been a standout for the South Sask Selects for the
past two years. Most note ably this year was the recipient of the Lineman Award for the U16
team. While playing in San Antonio he played inside and end for teams with great success. Is a
multi-sport athlete as well runs track, plays hockey as well. Has a bright future with a relentless
work ethic.

#52 Carson Bell – Defensive Line – 6’2”, 297lbs
Carson played football for Assiniboia and was the Defensive player of the years for the past four years as well as the top lineman for his school the last two years. Carson also went onto play Offensive Line for Team Saskatchewan while being named in 2015 the Most Valuable Player for the South Sask Selects as a defensive lineman.

#68 - Braxton Turnbull - Defensive Line – 6’1”, 225lbs
Braxton played two years of HS football and was a city finalist both years with Campbell Collegiate… He was an all-star Defensive Lineman in 2013 and 2014, as well as an all-star Offensive Lineman in 2014. Braxton had a great grade 12 year and was recognized as the RIFL’s 4A Lineman of the Year in 2014.

#51 - Daxton Moffat- Linebacker – 5’10”, 200lbs
Daxton started playing football in grade ten for the Moose Jaw Peacock Tornadoes. During his time with the Peacocks he won three city and two provincial championships. A huge personal accomplishment for him was to play for Team Saskatchewan in the Football Canada Cup this summer.

#30 - Tanner Smith – Linebacker – 6’1”, 210lbs
Tanner played two years of HS football and was a city finalist both years with Campbell Collegiate… Tanner was named the defensive player of the year for Campbell in his first season in Grade 11. At the 2014 Canada Cup he was named Team Saskatchewan’s Defensive Player of the Game against Quebec. He is also interested in snowboarding and basketball

#26 - Peter Kuxhaus – Defensive Back – 5’9”, 150lbs
Peter grew up as a multi-sport athlete in Martensville, Sk and Dalmeny Sk, In high school he
focused primarily on track and football. He won a under 16 Red River Cup Championship with
Team Sask in 2012 and was also named an all-star. Peter is interested in pursuing a career in construction. Peter is also known to enjoy sci-fi and fantasy movies.

#23 - Marcus Kuling – Defensive Back – 6’2”, 185lbs
Marcus is from Esterhazy Sk. He is a very strong, physical player who could fill an upcoming need
at Halfback. Marcus a multi-sport athlete also plays Sr Boys basketball. Marcus plans on attending
the University of Regina in the fall.

- The Regina Pats announced on Wednesday that Chad Lang is moving from his role as Senior Vice President to Senior Advisor and will be pursuing other opportunities. Chad has always been so good to me in the previous four seasons and I wish him all the best in this change.

- The shorthanded Calgary Hitmen got a big OT win last night 2-1 at home to the Brandon Wheat Kings in game 3 of their Eastern Conference Final series. Calgary was missing Jake Virtanen and Connor Rankin in the game, a total of 58 regular season goals and 131 points. Not to mention 17 goals int he playoffs and 27 points. The Wheat Kings still lead the series 2 games to 1 with game 4 tonight. It's good to see the Hitmen giving the Wheat Kings a fight. Game 4 is tonight at the Saddledome.

- The Portland Winterhawks are two wins away from their 5th straight WHL Championship series. They won in Kelowna last night 7-3 to take a 2-1 series lead. I haven't seen much of this series but last night Oliver Bjorkstrand was dominant with two goals and two assists. Don't count the Rockets out though, they are a heck of a team and will look to even the series in game 4 tonight in Portland.

- There is nothing better than game 7. Tonight Tampa Bay hosts Detroit in the last game of the first round of the NHL playoffs. To be honest I did not see this series going the distance, thought the Lightning would close things out a little earlier but as it seems every year, you cannot count out the Red Wings. That being said I always lean towards the home team in game 7's. Should be a fun one tonight.

- The Western Canada Cup is underway in Fort McMurray. The host Oil Barons are coached by former Pats bench boss Curtis Hunt. The Barons who lost out in round one of the playoffs had quite the layoff before the tournament but that has not hurt them so far. They started the preliminary round with a 1 and 1 record and last night got a massive win. The Barons were down 4-0 and came all the way back to beat Spruce Grove 5-4. That eliminated the Saints from contention. Tonight the SJHL Champion Melfort Mustangs take on the Penticton Vees, the Mustangs are 1 and 1 while the Vees are 2 and 1.

- On to baseball, the Blue Jays bullpen is quite the adventure. Take last night for example. Up 10-6 after their half of the 9th and you would think its a guaranteed win. But this year nothing is guaranteed with this pitching staff. Aaron Loup gives up a 2 run shot and its 10-8 going to the 9th. Luckily on this night the Jays held on to win but unless they get better in the pen this will be yet another year of .500 baseball in Canada.

Monday, April 27, 2015

CALGARY, AB - The Western Hockey League
announced today that Brandon Wheat Kings forward John
Quenneville is the Denny’s WHL Player of the Week for the
week ending April 26th, 2015.

Quenneville collected five points (2g-3a) to help the Brandon Wheat Kings take
a 2-0 series lead in their Eastern Conference Championship Series against the
Calgary Hitmen.

On Friday, April 24th against the Hitmen in Game 1, Quenneville
recorded five points (2g-3a) to lead the Wheat Kings to a 9-4 victory while
claiming first star honours. On Saturday, April 25th, Quenneville
and the Wheat Kings defeated the Hitmen 3-2 in overtime as the forward finished
the first two games of the Eastern Conference Championship Series with a plus-3
rating.

The 19-year-old Edmonton, AB native gathered 47 points (17g-30a) while
playing in 57 games this season for the Wheat Kings. The 6’1, 205 lb forward is
in his third WHL campaign with Brandon and has amassed 124 points (50g-74a) in
165 career WHL regular season contests. In 21 career WHL Playoff games,
Quenneville has recorded 27 points (11g-16a) to go along with a plus-12 rating.

The WHL has also nominated Adin Hill of the Portland
Winterhawks for the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week award.
Hill, a 1996-born netminder from Calgary, AB, recorded a
win last week in the Western Conference Championship Series against
the Kelowna Rockets while posting a 2.52 goals against average and a .942 save
percentage. On Friday, April 24th, Hill turned aside 43 shots while
claiming third star honours in a losing effort as the Winterhawks fell in Game
1 to Kelowna by a 3-2 score. The following night, Hill had a terrific
performance as he stopped 38 of 40 shots to lift the Winterhawks to a 3-2
victory in Game 2.

Regina, Saskatchewan – The
Regina Pats are pleased to announce Chad Lang will be assuming a new position
with the hockey club. He is leaving the role of Senior Vice President to
become a Senior Advisor for the organization, effective June 1.

“Having been born and raised in
Regina, working with my hometown team has been a dream come true,” said Chad
Lang. “This new role allows me to continue to remain with the
organization, but also gives me the ability to fully explore other business
opportunities.”

In his new role, Chad will work
directly with the owners of the Pats, Regina based Queen City Sports and
Entertainment Group (QCSEG). His extensive knowledge and experience will
also be utilized with the teams business and hockey operations.

Lang has been with the team for
five years as General Manager and Senior VP. During his time the club
amassed a 161-154-26-19 record. In the 2013-14 season he helped the Pats
capture the WHL Eastern Division Title for the first time since 2007-08.
This year the Regina Pats made it to the WHL Eastern Conference Semi-Finals for
the first time since the 2007-08 season as well.

“Chad is well-respected in the
WHL and we are lucky to be able to maintain our strong relationship with him,”
said Pats President Todd Lumbard. “Having Chad take on a Senior Advisor role
gives him flexibility and us the chance to rely on his extensive knowledge and
expertise. We have valued his contribution to the team and helping the
ownership transition.”

Named
for the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, the Western Hockey
League’s Regina Pats are the oldest major junior hockey franchise in the world
operating from its original location. Since their founding in 1917, the
Pats have won three Memorial Cup championships and compete in the WHL’s Eastern
Division. To learn more about the Pats, call 306-337-1535 or visit www.reginapats.com.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

The Regina Pat Canadians took home the bronze medal at the Telus Cup on Sunday with a 6-3 win over the UFA Bisons. A total of 5 Regina Pats prospects were playing in the third place game. Riley Woods of the Pat Canadians and for the UFA Bisons, Kurtis Chapman, Gary Haden, Zachary Cox and Trygve Many Guns.

In the first period Regina exploded out of the game with three straight goals. The first came at 2:12 as Connor Chaulk put in his 4th on the powerplay from Owen Sillinger and Riley Woods. Then with another man advantage Arthur Miller scored his 6th with assists to Jake Tesarowski and Riley Woods to make it 2-0. Tyler Adams then made it 3-0 at 13:39 with his 2nd from Bryce Platt. The Bisons pushed back and got on the board at 17:06. Davis Sheldon with his 2nd from Zachary Cox and Trygve Many Guns and it was 3-1. They cut the lead to 1 at 19:35 as Davis Sheldon scored his second of the period and 3rd of the tournament with assists to Austin Cameron and Zachary Cox and it was 3-2 Regina after 1. The shots were 11 a piece in the period.

In the second Regina went up 4-2 at 7:35, Owen Sillinger scored his 6th from Arthur Miller and Ryan Roberts. Just under 5 minutes later the Pat Canadians got their three goal lead back as Tyran Brown picked up his 2nd with assists to Ty Barnstable and Tylor Ludwar and it was 5-2 at 12:22 and that was the score after the second. Regina outshot the Bisons 11-7 in the period and led overall 22-18.

In the third Joshua Bishop scored 2:54 in to get the Bisons within 2. Assists to Zachary Vinnell and Markus Lavallee and it was 5-3. Regina sealed the victory at 14:17 as Arthur Miller scored his second of the game and 7th of the tournament with the lone assist to Riley Woods and it was 6-3, that was the final score. The Bisons outshot Regina 13-5 in the period and overall 31-27. Curtis Meger made 28 saves in the win.

In the tournament Pats prospect Riley Woods finished with 5 goals and 9 assists for 14 points. Gary Haden scored three times and had 8 points. Trygve Many Guns 2 goals and 3 assists in 7 game played and Zachary Cox finished with a goal and 3 assists. Goaltender Kurtis Chapman went 2 and 4 in the tournament with a 4.10 GAA and a .889 save percentage.

Calgary, AB – Competition wrapped up today at the 2015 IIHF U18 World Championship in Zug and Lucerne, Switzerland where 10 WHL players powered Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team to a second consecutive bronze medal finish.

After falling to Team USA in the tournament’s semi-final, Canada defeated host Switzerland 5-2 on Sunday to capture third place. All five Canadian goals on Sunday came from WHL skaters as Glenn Gawdin (Swift Current) picked up a pair and Jansen Harkins (Prince George), Deven Sideroff (Kamloops) and Brett Howden (Moose Jaw) had the singles. Late addition Tyler Soy (Victoria) had two assists in the game while Sideroff and Tyler Benson (Vancouver) also added helpers.

Team Canada has now medaled in four consecutive U18 World Championships, including a gold medal two years ago.

Seattle Thunderbirds forward Mathew Barzal led the Canadians with 12 points (3g-9a) in seven tournament games. Moose Jaw Warriors goaltender Zach Sawchenko carried the load in net for Team Canada as he picked up four wins and was named the Player of the Game on Sunday.

With tournament rosters comprised largely of 1997-born players, underage forwards Benson and Howden showed well amongst older competition, picking up four and three points respectively.

2015 IIHF U18 World Championship Roster – WHL Players

Name

Pos

Hometown

WHL Club

GP

G

A

PTS

Plus-Minus

Barzal, Mathew

F

Coquitlam, BC

Seattle Thunderbirds

7

3

9

12

2

Wotherspoon, Parker

D

Surrey, BC

Tri-City Americans

7

1

4

5

9

Harkins, Jansen

F

North Vancouver, BC

Prince George Cougars

7

3

2

5

3

Gawdin, Glenn

F

Richmond, BC

Swift Current Broncos

7

2

2

4

2

Sideroff, Deven

F

Summerland, BC

Kamloops Blazers

7

3

1

4

0

Benson, Tyler (UA)

F

Edmonton, AB

Vancouver Giants

7

1

3

4

4

Bear, Ethan

D

Ochapowace, SK

Seattle Thunderbirds

7

0

3

3

7

Howden, Brett (UA)

F

Oakbank, MB

Moose Jaw Warriors

3

2

1

3

0

Soy, Tyler

F

Cloverdale, BC

Victoria Royals

4

0

2

2

1

Name

Pos

Hometown

WHL Club

GP

W

L

SV%

GAA

Sawchenko, Zach

G

Calgary, AB

Moose Jaw Warriors

7

4

1

0.898

3.61

Moose Jaw Warriors Head Coach Tim Hunter was the bench boss for Team Canada en route to the bronze medal while while four more WHL personnel also provided services to the team: